Disneyland Celebrates 50th Anniversary



Disney Parks Worldwide Celebrate As
Disneyland Hits Milestone
50th Anniversary
Disneyland
Celebrates
50 Years of Magic!

Biggest
Event in Disney Theme Park History Premieres on May 5, 2005

ANAHEIM,
Calif. (May 5, 2004) — For the first time ever, the 10 Disney theme parks
around the world will join together for a global celebration to mark the
50th anniversary of Disneyland in Southern California.

Click the
image above to watch the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts "Coming Home"
television commercial for "The Happiest Celebration on Earth"
Disney Chief Executive Officer Michael Eisner joined Walt Disney Company
President and Chief Operating Officer Bob Iger and Walt Disney Parks &
Resorts President Jay Rasulo in a ceremony this morning in front of Sleeping
Beauty Castle at Disneyland announcing details of "The Happiest Celebration
on Earth."

"The
Happiest Celebration on Earth" pays tribute to Walt Disney's dream
of Disneyland, the original park that introduced an entirely new genre
of family entertainment that now spans the globe and continues to offer
the most visited attractions in the world, drawing 100 million visitors
on three continents every year — and still growing.

Beginning
May 5, 2005, and extending for 18 months through 2006, the event will
take place in all of the Disney theme parks around the world, with the
premiere of exciting new shows and attractions at Disneyland Resort, California;
Walt Disney World Resort in Florida; Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan; and
Disneyland Resort Paris in France and the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland.

Eisner noted
that Disneyland has grown into a cultural phenomenon. "The dawn of
the theme park industry rose from one man's dream as he walked Anaheim
orange groves more than 50 years ago, and today, the sun never sets on
Disney's global theme park landscape," Eisner said. "Our 'Happiest
Celebration on Earth' is another example of our continued commitment to
creating innovative entertainment experiences for the entire family, while
saluting the nearly two billion guests who have made Disneyland a national
treasure and make Disney the undisputed leader in family vacation destinations
worldwide."

"Since
Disneyland opened its gates nearly 50 years ago, Walt Disney's flagship
park has been praised the world over for serving as the foundation for
the modern theme park industry, and, moreover, for creating a unique place
where the entire family can have fun and enjoy wholesome, quality entertainment
together," said Rasulo. "Disney parks are at the heart of a
timeless tradition for millions of families that pass down their experiences
from generation to generation. In honor of the park that started it all,
every Disney resort will join in creating more great memories for our
guests with this unprecedented global celebration, which promises to be
the biggest event in Disney theme park history."

At Disneyland,
the global celebration becomes a unique chance for the generations of
guests who have been touched by the magic of Disneyland to return to where
the magic began and relive their fondest memories of park visits past
and create new memories with family and friends.


DISNEYLAND
RESORT (Anaheim, Calif.)

In addition
to the recent opening of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ and Snow
White-An Enchanting New Musical, the Resort will be premiering new and
exciting shows throughout the 18-month celebration. "We are celebrating
all those guests and cast members who have come to make Disneyland a cherished
experience, inviting them to relive memories and create new ones with
family and friends," said Disneyland Resort President Matt Ouimet.
"The celebration will be the biggest event in the history of the
park and will take different forms throughout the Disneyland Resort —
even extending out to sea."

Sleeping
Beauty Castle will be transformed into a breathtaking focal point for
"The Happiest Homecoming on Earth" and will glow with Disney
enchantment as never before.

Audiences
will be overwhelmed by the fun and spectacle of the new "Walt Disney's
Parade of Dreams," featuring one of the largest casts of Disney characters
ever assembled.

An all-new
fireworks spectacular entitled "Remember . . . Dreams Come True"
represents the most elaborate and extravagant in the history of Disneyland.

In the all-new
attraction "Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters," guests pilot their
very own Star Cruiser through a comical interactive space mission where
they will help to protect outer space from the forces of the evil Emperor
Zurg!
Space Mountain will be re-"Imagineered" for the 21st century,
featuring all-new "out of this world" effects and surprises.

Guests will
experience "Disneyland-The First 50 Years," a remarkable new
exhibit showcasing 50 years of Disneyland and highlighting the amazing
evolution of the park from concept to reality.

"Block
Party Bash" — At Disney's California Adventure guests will suddenly
find themselves surrounded by the rollicking music, excitement and fun
of one of five instant celebrations.

DISNEY
CRUISE LINE (Port of Los Angeles, Calif. / Port Canaveral, Fla.)

Disney Cruise
Line will launch its first-ever West Coast itinerary with celebratory
cruise vacations out of the port of Los Angeles aboard the Disney Magic
to the Mexican Riviera.

The 12 seven-night
cruises to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, will
introduce an exciting new way to vacation with Disney to a whole new audience.
Rasulo said, "The great opportunity we have with the flexibility
of our fleet is the ability to expose whole new audiences to a completely
new way to vacation with Disney."

The worldwide
"Happiest Celebration on Earth" will salute Disneyland by taking
different forms at each of Disneyland's sister parks and resorts:

WALT
DISNEY WORLD RESORT (Lake Buena Vista, Fla.)

Walt Disney
World Resort pays tribute to 50 years of Disneyland and Disney theme park
magic around the world with its most over-the-top event ever. Each of
the four Walt Disney World theme parks will feature an incredible attraction
or show imported from Disney's parks around the globe — plus a unique
new attraction will be created just for the Florida resort.

Guests at
Magic Kingdom will see a favorite princess begin her "happily-ever-after"
life during the magnificent, musical coronation of "Cinderellabration,"
direct from Tokyo.

At Epcot,
guests will take flight over the Golden State with the opening of "Soarin',"
based on the hit Anaheim attraction.

The secrets
behind Hollywood's most astounding stunts will be revealed in the high-octane
"Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" at Disney-MGM Studios,
direct from Paris.

At Disney's
Animal Kingdom — from out of the secret labs of Walt Disney Imagineering
— will come Lucky the dinosaur, the first-ever free-roaming Audio-Animatronics
figure. Later in the celebration year, Expedition EVEREST will take guests
to thrilling new heights in a runaway mountain train.

DISNEYLAND
RESORT PARIS (Paris, France)

"Wishes,"
a dramatic combination of glittering fireworks and Disney music, is set
to light up the skies over Sleeping Beauty Castle in the Disneyland park
every night from July 9 until Aug. 28, 2005. Inspired by a similar show
at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, "Wishes" will be accompanied
by a specially arranged musical score, featuring favorite Disney tunes
and characters.

Disneyland
Resort Paris will also honor Disneyland's 50th anniversary with a very
special celebration in the summer of 2005. This special program will salute
Walt Disney's dream of Disneyland giving guests a chance to remember the
first time they visited a Disney theme park with some golden moments.


TOKYO
DISNEY RESORT (Tokyo, Japan)

Tokyo Disneyland
Park — Disney's very first international theme park — honors its namesake
with a very special tribute in the summer of 2005 that pays homage to
Walt Disney's dream of Disneyland.

Lost River
Delta Thrill Attraction — This new attraction at Tokyo DisneySea will
be the first at Tokyo Disney Resort to feature a vertical 360-degree loop
and will offer guests a thrilling experience on a high-speed ride through
special effects employing fire and water when it opens in 2005.

HONG
KONG DISNEYLAND (Hong Kong, China)

The legacy
of Disneyland continues into the next half century when Hong Kong Disneyland
opens its gates in 2005/early 2006. Classic Disney attractions and unique
design elements for China will introduce a new generation to the enchantment
of Disney, demonstrating how Disney magic can cross geographical and cultural
borders, bringing people and families closer together.


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"As
we celebrate the first 50 years of Disney theme park excellence, we do
so with unparalleled E-ticket thrills such as the new Mission: SPACE attraction
at Epcot and this week's opening of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
at Disney's California Adventure," said Rasulo. "Our inspiration
for the future reflects the innovation and imagination of Walt's vision,
and in honor of this great legacy we begin the next 50 years with this
unforgettable golden anniversary of his dream come true."

Additionally,
DisneyHand, worldwide outreach for The Walt Disney Company, will join
in the 50th anniversary of Disneyland by celebrating its role as a magical
place where the wishes of children from around the world come true. A
series of exciting signature events, in association with Make-A-Wish Foundation®,
Starlight Children's Foundation and Toys For Tots, will share many of
the ways in which Disney serves children and families in need.

Further outreach
programs focused in Anaheim and Orange County will build on Disneyland's
commitment to the local non-profit and education communities and leave
a legacy for years to come. Disney VoluntEARS will play a central role
in outreach activities, continuing to strengthen the relationships between
Disneyland cast members and the communities in which they live and work.